With champagne glasses in hand, a crowd had gathered on the docks of Volendam in the Netherlands, attending the christening ceremony of the Avalon Creativity, Avalon Waterways’ newest ship. Within the past two years, Avalon has christened three ships, and in August, the Creativity joined sister ships the Avalon Affinity (2009) and the Avalon Scenery (2008). Two more are slated to debut in 2010 and the line is adding three more new ships in 2011.
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Avalon Creativity |
Once the ship’s godmother, Nancy Teliho, president of Newsweek Budget Travel Inc., released the champagne bottle, Creativity began its maiden voyage back to Amsterdam to sail the Romantic Rhine itinerary from Amsterdam to Basel. The ship was sailing at full occupancy with 140 passengers, mostly from the U.S., with a fair amount of Canadians, and some Australians and New Zealanders.
It’s no wonder more travelers are choosing to sail along some of the world’s most picturesque rivers. The unhurried pace, coupled with multiple destination stops, gourmet food and inclusive tours is ideal for clients who prefer a more relaxed way to travel. Avalon is adding five new river cruise itineraries in 2010 alone.
“It’s an exciting travel style with lots of growth,” said Patrick Clark, managing director of Avalon Waterways.
He noted that Avalon bookings from the U.S. are up 25 percent for 2010, and thanked agents for promoting tourism, even during today’s more turbulent economic times.
“Without our travel agent partners, we would not be successful,” he said.
Cabins are spacious, measuring 172 square feet with plenty of storage space. Junior Suites have 258 square feet of space for sofas and larger bathrooms. All rooms come with Egyptian-cotton linens, flat-screen televisions, minibars and safes. All staterooms on the Royal and Sapphire Decks feature French balconies, and mine gave me the opportunity to observe elegant swans as we cruised through Strasbourg, France, and some of Germany’s best-preserved castles near the Middle Rhine.
Other amenities onboard included an elevator, a full-service restaurant, a small fitness room, a library/lounge in the rear, a spacious front lounge, a hair salon, laundry and ironing services, wireless Internet access and a Jacuzzi.
Cuisine played a major part in the overall experience; I can’t remember a single time — with the exception of breakfast — where I saw the same dish on the menu twice. Each day, the ship offered passengers an early and late continental breakfast in the rear lounge; a full breakfast buffet at the restaurant; a buffet lunch; a grill lunch (weather permitting) on the Sky Deck; and a five-course dinner complete with complimentary beer and wine.
Executive chef Mario Kvietok and his staff prepared delectable dishes made with local ingredients and inspired by the cities and cultures we encountered along the way. Some of my favorites included sauerkraut, butterfish with tagliatelle and a carrot-ginger soup for which I wish I had requested the recipe. Service staff was prompt and always helpful; most of the staff was on a first-name basis with passengers by the second day.
And when we weren’t savoring the chef’s hard work, we were out and about, exploring some of Europe’s most charming cities. Because Avalon is part of the Globus Family of Brands, it benefits greatly from Globus’ more than 80 years of tour operator experience.
In Amsterdam, where the cruise began, we took a canal tour of the city that highlighted the main landmarks. Afterward, we spent our free time savoring bacon pancakes drizzled with molasses syrup — a local favorite and something to encourage your clients to try — before heading back to the ship.
Before our last stop in Basel, Switzerland, the Creativity docked at Breisach and we drove to the House of Black Forest Clocks in Niederwasser. Here, Adolf Herr, a sixth-generation woodcarver and clockmaker, sells his hand-carved wares and offers complimentary helpings of cherry wine and Black Forest cherry cake — a sweet ending to a memorable journey.
The Details
Avalon Waterways
Commission: Ranges from 10 to 17 percent
www.avalonwaterways.com
This year’s average per person rate for a Category E stateroom is $2,289.
The Avalon Creativity will sail Romantic Rhine cruises through 2009. Next year, it will sail on a brand-new Grand France itinerary, as well as Paris to Normandy’s Landing Beaches.
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